Five New Year’s Resolutions All Marketers Should Make

It’s the second day of January and we all know what that means – everyone is in full on New Year’s resolution mode.

Your local gym is packed with resolutioners dusting off their membership cards. Maybe in between kick boxing classes they’ll take up a new skill like guitar or baking. Don’t forget to stock up on kale and papaya for that two-week juice cleanse!

But alas, many of these overzealous planners will give up their goals. However, as a marketer, you can’t fall victim to familiar and outdated practices – that’s so 2013.

Marketing is constantly evolving, so ideas that were new and innovative just last month are already old news. While we can’t predict the future, we’re going to continue thinking that we can.

Based on trends from the previous year and whispers of upcoming tactics, here are five New Year’s resolutions all marketers should make:

Put more design time into video creation: B2B consumers want information that’s easily accessible and digestible. Short (2-4 minute) videos throughout your website, and linked in email campaigns, educate visitors about your products as well as company culture.

Give social media the attention it deserves: Your company’s social media presence should be approachable, calculated, and reported on. The joke about passing this responsibility onto an intern has lost its humor. Social media provides a voice for your company and brand – use it wisely.

Publish with mobile in mind: The industry as a whole cannot push mobile viewing to the side anymore. Smart phones and tablets have proven their staying (and evolving) power. Test emails and web pages for mobile viewing and remember that your audience is the same, only their setting is different.

Create conversations, not declarations: Every correspondence with customers and leads should open a dialogue, so encourage conversation and provide a forum for feedback. Don’t push information just to fill space in the stratosphere – consider its benefits, responses, and questions from B2B consumers.

Simplify website content: Website visitors’ preferences have changed once again. They’re no longer impressed by opulent and over the top design, we get it – you can make a GIF, good for you. Instead, white backgrounds, plain fonts, clean images, and simple writing (think Ernest Hemingway) will entice visitors.